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Job applications....then the wait.

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C J Snarzell

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Hi there, I hope no one objects to me starting this thread?

I applied for a job with Northern at the beginning of May. The routine e-mail I received upon submitting the application stated they would be in touch in 2-4 weeks and I'm still awaiting an update.

I've also applied for a job with Virgin but they don't even tell you about time scales. Both jobs are not driving or conductor roles - they are both customer service based.

Has anyone got any experience of time scales when they get back to you. I'm constantly checking my inbox and junk folders for any replies. There's an old saying that no news is good news so I'm reluctant to contact their respective HRs.
 
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Stigy

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C J Snarzell said:
Hi there, I hope no one objects to me starting this thread?

I applied for a job with Northern at the beginning of May. The routine e-mail I received upon submitting the application stated they would be in touch in 2-4 weeks and I'm still awaiting an update.

I've also applied for a job with Virgin but they don't even tell you about time scales. Both jobs are not driving or conductor roles - they are both customer service based.

Has anyone got any experience of time scales when they get back to you. I'm constantly checking my inbox and junk folders for any replies. There's an old saying that no news is good news so I'm reluctant to contact their respective HRs.
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You were told 2-4 weeks, and to be fair it’s only at about the 4-week mark now if as you say you applied at the beginning of May. As you’ve probably read here at the forum, railway recruitment is generally very slow. I’d wait for a couple more weeks and then contact them? I not do any harm, but you generally need to be patient.
 
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Saxon79

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I applied for train driver roles back in December and applications still say in process as does my conductor application from April. So you could be waiting a lot longer.
 
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Lee0901

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I had a driver application in for northern in December. I had interview in January, then heard nothing. After 3 emails I finally got a reply 2 weeks ago saying I'd passed. I've emailed again asking about the next stage and saying that as I've passed the OPC stuff would that still stand but not had a reply again! So be prepared for a long wait
 
dilbertphil

dilbertphil

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As has been said many times before on this board railway recruitment is painfully slow and I'm afraid you just have to wait until you hear something. When I first started in 2003 from actually sending my form off to setting foot through the training school door took 15 months, and I dont think its speed up much since then.
 
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gaerne58

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I had my face to face interview on the 17th May (after submitting my application on the 27th March) for the role of Shunter at GWR, and I just found out today that I failed ☹️. At least I got a lot further than the first attempt at getting a job as a carriage cleaner, I didn't even pass the initial stage for that!
 
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Mel Smooth

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I applied for Northern in December! Had interview in April and psychometric this week! Be prepared to wait and wait
 
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Coledj

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I applied for Conductor at Northern in Feb. Passed online assessment not long after. Had interview in March and medical beginning of April. Couldn’t start the May course due to family commitments so have been put on July 8th course.
 
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Class-jnr

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I just received the rejection email. Back to the drawing board, will review the CV.
 
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C J Snarzell

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I suppose the driving and conductor roles are lengthy because of the various tests and medicals that are involved.

Both the jobs I have applied for are both 'office' based roles so I'm hoping there will be some update to these sooner rather than later.
 
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Dynamonic

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For me, becoming a driver was quite a quick experience compared to others on here. It consisted of:

Application sent in September 2017
Shortlisted in October
Stage 1 tests in October
Assessment Centre in November
Driver Manager Interview in November
Stage 2 tests in December
Entered Talent Pool in December
Offered Start Date in May, for July.
Medical in May
Started in July 2018, eight months after applying.

It definitely is a game of patience, but one that is very much worth playing. :)
 
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C J Snarzell

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After starting this thread, I've finally had an e-mail from Northern but it is sadly not good news. It states that after careful consideration they have decided not to take my application further. Again they don't provide feedback at this stage. Very disappointing!

I've already dipped two previous applications in April but I actually went back to the drawing board to completely redraught my CV with advice from a professional CV writer and I also tweaked up the cover letter and reference details to absolute perfection.

It honestly feels like hitting a brick wall each time I apply to Northern!!!
 
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bawbster

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I'm still waiting on a rejection email from January from Scotrail/Abellio, 2 from February and 1 from May.
 
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C J Snarzell

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I've just received a rejection email from Virgin for a customer service role I applied for last month.

Again very disappointing. Their email did say that their were other candidates more suitable for the job. I'm only assuming that they get quite a lot of internal applicants with plenty of sales experience and outsiders like me are often left out in the cold.

Has anyone any experience of these types of rejections?
 
MostlyHarmless

MostlyHarmless

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C J Snarzell said:
I've just received a rejection email from Virgin for a customer service role I applied for last month.

Again very disappointing. Their email did say that their were other candidates more suitable for the job. I'm only assuming that they get quite a lot of internal applicants with plenty of sales experience and outsiders like me are often left out in the cold.

Has anyone any experience of these types of rejections?
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Sounds like the bog standard thanks but no thanks email... I've had them and from 2 different companies with almost identical wording!

Don't be disheartened as there will be plenty of other opportunities. Get someone to take a look at your application and CV (if there is one) before you submit it as a 2nd pair of eyes can be useful
 
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Andi-H27

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Application - early December 18
Invitation DMI - March 19
Interview - End of April 19
Psychometrics - Early June 19
Training date & job offer...….. TBC :)
 
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mexman

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I applied in March this year and had a managers interview around 7 weeks later and passed and was invited to do the assessment day a few weeks later, I got to the end of the day passing all the stages up to the MMI which wasnt being marked that day and the lady said they would send the results to Northern within 48 hours and the TOC will contact me from there, the email from Northern said please allow 5 working days for the results, but im nearly 2 weeks down the line and ive emailed and phoned but still not had any feedback, so it would appear patience and the long game is key here.

I do know a few peoplw who have gone through the process and had very much the same experience, it is very annoying though as im absolutely desperate to find out how ive done, checking my spam emails about 20 times a day, as all previous emails have ended up in spam.
 
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mexman

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Andi-H27 said:
Application - early December 18
Invitation DMI - March 19
Interview - End of April 19
Psychometrics - Early June 19
Training date & job offer...….. TBC :)
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Sounds like we are in the same boat Andi, bar application date (mine was march 19) all the other dates seem to be the same and im still waiting on the same as yourself.
 
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Mel Smooth

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mexman said:
I applied in March this year and had a managers interview around 7 weeks later and passed and was invited to do the assessment day a few weeks later, I got to the end of the day passing all the stages up to the MMI which wasnt being marked that day and the lady said they would send the results to Northern within 48 hours and the TOC will contact me from there, the email from Northern said please allow 5 working days for the results, but im nearly 2 weeks down the line and ive emailed and phoned but still not had any feedback, so it would appear patience and the long game is key here.

I do know a few peoplw who have gone through the process and had very much the same experience, it is very annoying though as im absolutely desperate to find out how ive done, checking my spam emails about 20 times a day, as all previous emails have ended up in spam.
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I got told I’d passed quite quickly after the assessment day! Seems quite a few are awaiting their results though. Maybe the toc is juggling all these folk into training courses! Hope so, as I just wanna get started now
 
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mexman

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Mel Smooth said:
I got told I’d passed quite quickly after the assessment day! Seems quite a few are awaiting their results though. Maybe the toc is juggling all these folk into training courses! Hope so, as I just wanna get started now
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Yes seems that way, ar well just have to keep waiting and hoping.
 
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Mel Smooth

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mexman said:
Yes seems that way, ar well just have to keep waiting and hoping.
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I know of a staff member at a different TOC who is also at same stage as me, you and Andi. Maybe we all might be put on the same training course.
 
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